Raspberry Peach Jam

Peaches from my brother-in-laws trees and raspberries we picked earlier in the summer. It was definitely helpful that we had crushed the berries and prepared them before freezing. It was simply a matter of thawing and then crushing a few through a sieve so we didn’t get a lot of seeds. Because they were frozen and thawed we already had a ton of juice so we only need a bit of pulp to give it that jam feel.

I basically used my Mixed Berry Jam recipe and just adjusted the fruit measurements and added some lemon juice. I was hoping for a sort of Peach Melba flavor. I’m not a big fan of anything peachy so I wasn’t sure how this would turn out but I had no worries once I tasted it. Very slight peach flavor but the raspberries definitely did not overpower the peaches. It truly was a perfect blend.

You can always adjust your fruit ratios depending if you want a more peachy flavor or choose more raspberry. Just make sure you always end up with 5 cups of fruit no matter the ratio of fruit.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Peach Jam

3 1/2 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups raspberries, crushed
2 Tbls lemon juice
7 cups sugar
1 box powdered pectin
1/2 tsp butter optional

Make sure you prepare everything before starting to cook the berries.

Start boiling water for the prepared jam in extra large canning pot with rack.

Sterilize lids and jars. To sterilize, simmer in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Place flat lids in bowl and cover with boiling water.

To prepare fruit pick through and toss away any berries that are moldy or rotten. Carefully rinse berries and place in large bowl and crush. I use a pastry blender but you can also use a potato masher. If you want less seeds smash about half of them through a fine sieve. You’ll get a bunch of juice and then can add smashed whole berries to the juice. Make sure you always have 1 1/2 cups of prepared berries.

Peel and pit the peaches. I don’t like huge chunks of fruit in my jam so chop the peaches finely. Make sure you have 3 1/2 cups chopped peaches. Pour prepared berries and peaches in large stockpot. You should have exactly 5 cups berries.

Measure the exact amount of sugar listed in to a separate bowl. Do NOT reduce the sugar in the recipe as that will result in the jam not setting properly. There are less sugar pectins available.

Stir the pectin, lemon juice, and butter into the prepared fruit in the pot. The butter helps reduce foaming but is not a critical component of the jam. I like letting the pectin soak into the fruit for about 5 minutes before turning on the burner.

Set a timer to 1 minute.

Cook on high heat and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. This is when bubbles cover the surface and don’t stop bubbling even when stirred. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes. Make sure to stir constantly.

Add sugar to the fruit mixture and return to a full rolling boil. Once the jam is at a rolling boil cook for exactly 1 minute. This is why it’s nice to have a timer prepared ahead of time. Once again stir constantly. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive with your stirring after you add the sugar. You need to make sure it doesn’t clump and completely melts. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides periodically.

Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon. You do need to work quickly so the jam doesn’t start setting before you get it in the jars.

Ladle the jam into the prepared jars, filling each to within 1/4 inch of the top. This is called the “headspace” and is very important. Make sure to take a clean damp cloth and wipe the tops and the threads of the jar. You don’t want anything interfering with the seal.

Cover with the flat lid and screw on lids. Make sure to securely hand tighten the lids before placing on the rack in the canning pot. Lower the rack and ensure the jars are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water. Add boiling water if necessary. Cover and bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from water bath and place on a towel or cooling rack to cool completely. This is when you should start hearing “pops” as the jars seal. After the jam is completely cooled run your finger over the top of the jar lids and if you feel any that pop out instead of being slightly indented that means it’s not sealed properly. If this happens simply store that jar in the refrigerator instead of the pantry cupboard.

The jam is usually good unopened for up to two years.

Makes 8-9 8 oz jars of jam.